Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition: Review Roundup #4

December 13th, 2012, 02:23

More reviews of Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition, including one with a rating of 6.Pocket-Lint, iPad Version

What are, perhaps, most impressive though, are the touchscreen controls, and how they seemlessly fit the format. Tap to move, tap to select, pinch and zoom all work. The menus and options frame the play area, and it all feels intuitive to use. There are moments in the heat of battle that you may tap on the wrong opponent or character, but first, that's what the pause button is for, and second, you can really zoom in. Really.

Being negative about anything relating to Baldur's Gate is tough given lingering fond memories and how good the original game remains. Still, you can't view this remake in a fully positive light. Additions and enhancements are of questionable merit and are already largely available with very comprehensive, very stable mod packages for the original game, and major bugs have caused a lot of frustration. Even though replaying Baldur's Gate is a worthwhile trip down memory lane for anyone who appreciates a deep RPG, the lack of notable improvements and new features throws more than a few roadblocks in your way.

Baldurís Gate: Enhanced Edition is a fantastic way for RPG fans to experience one of the true classics of the genre. Fans of modern RPGs like Skyrim or Dragon Age will notice Baldurís Gate has a lot in common with them. The additional content like new characters, entirely new game mode, and the inclusion of the expansionís content ensure youíll be spending countless hours playing. However, even with the new bells and whistles the game is starting to show its age, and the complexity of gameplay will steer many gamers away. If you donít mind sifting through a lot of text, I highly recommend this game to anyone who calls themselves RPG lovers.

Should you buy Baldurís Gate: Enhanced Edition if you own it on GOG? Probably not. A few optional characters, a Horde mode, and a few built-in modifications do not a Really Special Edition make. You should absolutely play Baldurís Gate if you donít mind isometric RPGs that give you a real challenge, since the writing is still amazing and both the world and combat system are still really deep and engrossing. This may be the one to get if you donít own a copy, but it still needs a few more patches, a Steam release and a price drop before I can wholeheartedly recommend it. Nevertheless, a classic game given a questionable buff is still a classic game. Butt-kicking for goodness, indeed.

Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition knows who it's aiming for and hits the mark almost perfectly, but as a result, gamers yet to enjoy the deep complexity of such an RPG may be quickly overwhelmed and even put off by its clunky design.